Don’t hate on yourself for not wanting to move up. Your job is valuable, or people wouldn’t give you money to do it. If you’re asking me, there’s a certain respect you have to give people who prioritize their happiness over money or status. It’s the opposite of greed, which I find commendable. What’s the point of money if you’re not happy enough to enjoy it?

You may one day find yourself in a company or position where you do want to move up. But for now there’s no shame in being content.

Before I go on, your comment is valid and I fully agree with you. I am not saying this is the case with you, but presenting the other side of the coin. Just because you’re the highest performer at a position does not mean you’re necessarily the best fit for a promotion. I work with plenty of people who were promoted for being the hardest workers. They are now managers who flounder because they cannot work hard to impress. They need to lead a team of hard workers, which requires a different set of traits than being a hard worker yourself. My manager when I started was promoted for being the hardest worker. That was all she knew how to do. She could not lead people. Couldn’t give constructive criticism, could not take constructive criticism. Any idea that was not her idea was not a good idea. Wanted to rule with an iron fist and feel important, but could not do anything that would actually get her there. Extremely hard worker though, and the work she did do was on point. Just could not lead a team. It’s shitty, but it’s the truth.

I have become this dad. I think about these scenes often. It helps me remember and realign my priorities. I guess it’s corny, but the message is valid and important.

Probably nothing at all, but I’d be willing to bet he hasn’t encouraged it either.

Can’t have shit in Detroit

I fully agree with this statement. You are correct. That said, I am starting to believe that maybe it’s something to do with culture overall. It’s hard to explain, but as an American I feel we tend to focus heavily on reward, as opposed to risk versus reward. That blind spot is what I think makes us too stupid to get it right. Like, we think about risk but we’re so constantly enticed by excess (reward) that the risk doesn’t register the way reward does. Poverty is a factor (there are dozens of factors) but if we’re poor, the reward is stability. If we’re middle class, the reward is wealth. If we’re wealthy, the reward is status. No matter what there’s another reward. We tend to view crimes committed by the poor as more scummy or punishable because the reward isn’t generally that great, and it hurts another person directly. To that person who has nothing, $1000 would be seen as life changing. To a person who makes 70-80k, $1000 is not worth the charges. Where a crime committed by a wealthy business owner for hundreds of thousands or millions is seen as just a man being competitive and aggressive (to achieve what we all really want deep down), so is met with a slap on the wrist. It’s a lot to talk about. Too much for an internet comment. Our system is trash for sure, but I just can’t shake the feeling that it’s a bigger issue that needs addressing.

None of that was to say it doesn’t matter, it’s to say it’s a stupid comparison. We can work on drownings and work on gun deaths at the same time. They’re two completely different problems. If I said too many people died in car accidents, you wouldn’t say “well what about cigarettes!? Don’t care about lung cancer then huh?” Yes. They both problems. Such different problems it’s stupid to compare them. Pool safety also isn’t a divisive political issue that’s winds up in the news because people would mostly agree on common sense pool safety. There’s no group of fenceless pool enthusiasts protesting for their right to own a pool that a child could easily drown in. We would consider those people idiots.

What a stupid comparison. Guns have one purpose - destruction. You can talk about all the things you can do with guns, but their intended purpose and design is to destroy. The better they destroy shit, the more valuable they are. They’re nothing without that. Pools and hot tubs are not that, and provide value to families and communities in other ways. Also, it’s water. Literally water. And many areas have building codes surrounding pools and their safety. Mainly fences and safety covers. Homeowners insurance is also more expensive when you own a pool. Does that stop every child from drowning? No. Do we know how many times a child was saved because a pool was legally required to have a fence or safety cover? Also no. Also, there is no one running around with pools or hot tubs in their pockets drowning children en masse.

Kill it! That sounds fun as hell. Added challenge; there is a dope sandwich to be made from those ingredients. Make it for your future ex.

Just morally.